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I have a Savage Fox BST with the vent rib. The rib has a bent place in it about 2 inches from the breech end. If I remove the screw from the end of the rib does the rib slide off? If so I would like to pull it off and straighten it. Thanks, Mitch

Highly doubt it, Mitch, but I know nothing about the rib attachment on your gun. I have straightened a dented rib on a Beretta ASE90 with a flat screwdriver that wedged tight between rib and barrel and VERY gently tapping on each side. You do risk popping the rib loose from a post or the post from the barrel doing this. It's a nerve wracking process, you sort of feel like your playing a non-lethal Russian roulette every time you strike that screwdriver...
JR

Also, remember, the rib dented, and then straightened will be
longer than original
Mike

I accidentally bent the rib on a Beretta 390 when it was near new. It was dented down toward the barrel between two of it's posts. I used a large flat screwdriver and gently pried it upwards, alternating from one side to the other. It came back up so perfectly that you cannot see it was ever bent. I worried that the metal had stretched, as Mike said, but it hadn't. AIR, I ran a layer of black electrical tape over the barrel, but under the rib, just to keep from marring the bluing with the screwdriver. Worked perfectly, with absolutely no sign that it had ever been bent.

SRH

The factory had one style of rib that had a sheet metal cover. It was a piece that folded around the sides and just under the bottom edge on both sides. You can clearly see that style when looking at the rib from the muzzle.
You remove the large screw at the breech end of the rib,,,then any site beads on the rib.
The rib cover pulls off the bbl assembly from the muzzle end.
Rib damage was a quick fix by simple replacement of the rib cover. Sometimes the underlying rib mount itself needed cleaning up depending on how bad the damage was, but the cover had the matting on it, so a new surface is presented.
The rib covers came in slightly long lengths (32/33" IIRC) for fitting.

I think they also used a style of top rib that used a conventional rib mounted on dovetailed posts. Same disassembly means. Should be able to see that style from the muzzle too if it's on there.

If either is dented, some straightening will be needed before you can simply slide the damaged point along.

Looking at the muzzle it appears to be the dovetailed type. Thing is it is bent up over the rear support instead of down. I just bought the gun so I have no clue how that could have happened. It looks as though someone had it off and screwed it down without sliding it onto the rear support. Thanks for all the help. Mitch

Mitch, if you have to pry up on the rib, I'd suggest a clamp over the top of adjacent rib posts. Carefully applied clamps should carry at least some of the upward load from bending. Careful with those clamps, though. They have a good deal of mechanical advantage via the screw and can dent barrels if applied ham fistedly.

DDA

seek professional help...

Cheap at twice the price:

https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-tools...l-prod8754.aspx

Bruce

I like to slide number drills under the bend raising the dent very slowly.Start small and move up slowly size by size.Brownells sells a tool that is designed for this job.

bill